The present invention refers to an axial rolling bearing, and in particular to an axial rolling bearing of a type including a cage having pockets for retaining rolling elements between two plane-parallel bearing disks for exhibiting a structural unit through interlocking engagement, with at least one bearing disk having a peripheral edge which is turned in to form an axial collar that surrounds the cage with clearance and extends towards a radial plane of the other one of the bearing disks to form at least one annular gap.
Such an axial rolling bearing is known from U.S. Pat. No. 2,891,828 and is used particularly in torque converters of automotive transmissions. A drawback of this conventional bearing is the necessity for the lubricant to overcome a considerable flow resistance in order to be able to pass through the axial rolling bearing. This resistance to lubricant flow is caused not only by the narrow radial and axial gaps between the bearing disks and the cage but also by the narrow spaces between the rolling elements and the pockets of the cage.